The chief executive of Kerry County Council (KCC) says the local authority won’t “be slow looking for more money” from central government if the war in Iran drives up inflation.
Councillors at this week’s full council meeting expressed concern that extra money allocated for the county’s roads this year will be lost to inflation.
Fearghal Reidy assured councillors that, although it is probably just “the start of the situation”, management is closely monitoring cost increases.
He said, right now, all the available money is already accounted for in the council’s budget.
In February, over €65 million in funding was announced for roads in Kerry.
This figure includes over €31.3 million (€31,367,325) in regional and local roads funding.
This comprises over €16.4 million (€16,426,500) for restoration improvements, nearly €2 million (€1,939,000) for roads maintenance, over €4 million (€4,054,000) in a discretionary grant and €900,000 for bridge rehabilitation.
Welcoming the funding, councillor Charlie Farelly conceded he was very disappointed with the funding allocated for both bridge rehabilitation and the community investment scheme.
Several councillors raised the issue of TII (Transport Infrastructure Ireland) funding, particularly the lack of funding for the N69 at Cahirdown outside Listowel.
Councillor Breandán Fitzgerald asked for some of the discretionary funding to be allocated to the N86 between Lispole and Dingle, which he described as “caving in” in parts, while councillor Deirdre Ferris hoped the council would petition for further funding for the project.
Councillor Tom Barry said he couldn’t get his “head around” the lack of central funding for public car parks, adding that visitors to some of Kerry’s finest amenities would “bust a tyre”
driving into these car parks.
He asked that the council contact the Minister for Transport to highlight this problem.
| Grant Category | Allocation (€) |
|---|---|
| Restoration Improvement | 16,426,500 |
| RM | 1,939,000 |
| SRM | 1,793,500 |
| Discretionary Grant | 4,054,000 |
| Bridge Rehabilitation | 900,000 |
| Specific Improvement Grants | 1,050,000 |
| Strategic Regional & Local Roads | 1,400,000 |
| Safety Improvement Works | 728,000 |
| PSCI: Survey Support | 34,000 |
| Training Grant | 113,000 |
| Drainage Works | 857,500 |
| Former National Roads | 400,000 |
| Speed Limit Review Signs | 0 |
| Climate Adaptation & Resilience Works | 820,000 |
| Community Involvement Scheme | 851,825 |
| Total Budget | 31,367,325 |
